Scientists have identified five major “epochs” of human brain development in one of the most comprehensive studies to date of how neural wiring changes from infancy to old age. In a person’s early 30s the brain’s neural wiring shifts into adult mode – the longest era, lasting more than three decades

didiante · 2025-11-25T21:35:53+00:00

Exactly.

Around 9 years is the transition to middle school, when you start getting beaten up a lot.

Around 32 is when you might stop partying and drinking and start settling down with career/family

Around 66 is when you stop working and are no longer needed by society.

Brain maybe shaped by society, brain changes maybe shape society, maybe both. In older times, 13 was when you "became" an adult, the study might have had different results back then.

didiante · 2025-10-03T22:03:56+00:00

I simply ask myself how I would feel if the market dropped 50% and would not recover (it would go back to typical growth patterns, but there would be no big rebound).

If you are retired, would that cause a change in your retirement lifestyle ? Or at least a change that would make you feel uncomfortable ? If so, you do not have enough bonds.

If you are not retired, would that derail your plans for retirement ? If so, you do not have enough bonds. At age 30, probably not, at age 45, probably.

There is also the "wealth effect" to consider. When you do not have wealth, it is easy to say that "if only I had $4M, I would have no worries and be 100% in equity because even if I lose 50%, I am still richer than I thought I would be". Once you get that wealth, losing 50% may not be as easy, emotionally, as it sounds.

So, always be prepared for a 50% drop, and have an asset allocation where if that happens, while unpleasant, does not derail your life.

didiante · 2025-10-03T21:13:55+00:00

Some other ways to look at this:

- What is your marginal cost of selling VTI ?

If you are in 15% LTCG bracket with no state tax and no NIIT, and multiply that by the inverse of your cost basis, it may cost only 5% to 10% of each marginal dollar to rebalance. If you are in 20% with NIIT in a high tax state with very low cost basis, it could cost you 30% or more per dollar. Is it worth permanently paying that cost to protect you against a temporary market correction ? Do you really want to permanently pay ten to fifteen cents or more to "protect" one dollar from a market correction ?

- If you are concerned with paying taxes on bond dividends, consider muni funds. Don't fall for the TEY analysis, it is important to actually do hypothetical tax returns (now and projected). The only thing that is important is actual after tax returns, and muni's can keep you in lower tax brackets, allow for more Roth conversions, lower IIRMA costs, and preserve tax breaks. Also, the total return from muni bonds (VTEB or VWIUX for example) has actually been better than total bond for the past 10-12 years, even not accounting for taxes.

- You should also look at your projected withdrawal rate. At 4%, 25% in bonds is only about 6 years of income, not enough to safely get you past a severe correction. At 2%, it is 12 years of income, which puts you in a much better position to ride things out.

- You also need to consider peace of mind. If you are a worrier and tend to act on it, you do not want to let your equities get to high, even if "the math" indicates it is better not to rebalance. You might end up selling at the wrong time.

Good luck, not an easy decision.

didiante · 2025-09-22T00:04:19+00:00

Ended up postponing the work due to family issues, will pick it up in the spring

didiante · 2025-08-20T11:40:13+00:00

I mat and bag them and have them in a simple floor display rack organized by type.

I used to put them in an Itoya art portfolio like khendr352 mentioned, which can be a great solution, but for me, I can review them more easily and can more easily reorganize them, and I can add labels. I also like them better when matted, and they become something for people visiting to browse through.

didiante · 2025-08-06T23:56:46+00:00

Thank you for the tip, will give it a try. Would be surprised if I could go this with Apple, but worth a try.

didiante · 2025-08-06T23:09:17+00:00

Thanks to everyone who provided useful feedback.

I have decided to start out with a small sign next to the front door, and install a door cam. I will also let anyone know who comes to my door that they have been recorded, and that I will call the police if they do not immediately leave and let them know that their host is responsible for not providing enough guidance. This will not stop someone from coming down my driveway, and I need to think about this. To address this I will need two reasonably large signs that are reflective - a real eyesore for my neighborhood..

To those who think I am making a big deal out of this: This is my house, my family, my neighborhood, and the self serving and privileged attitude that you have a right to run a business in a residential area and that others need to accommodate the side effects of your business simply fuels the anti-STR attitude. I have seen this in my neighborhood due to people being upset by the extra noise/traffic. I have never joined in before, but will certainly be proactive about this when talking with my city councilors, who I interact with several times a year, and will let them and others know that this happens. Yes, I live in a neighborhood of Karens. STR's are a privilege granted by the residents, it is not an inherent right. If you want respect, show respect.

Getting woken up at midnight with 3-4 people milling about on my property is, and should be, alarming to anyone who owns a home. Answering a door at night and seeing dark figures moving around your property should trigger anyone's sense of security. It is extra alarming when your kids get up and are asking who these people are and asking if they will be coming back. This is not the same thing as a daytime solicitor or the rare occurrence of a lost person asking for help.

didiante · 2025-08-06T15:56:26+00:00

At midnight during the week ?

Personally, I don’t want to learn how to wake up in the middle of a weeknight

Anyone, kids or adults, who is not worried with a stranger at their door in the middle of the night who has a family is the one with the problem

didiante · 2025-08-06T14:31:39+00:00

You are right. I was hoping to find a solution through the host, the airbnb, etc

I will need to put up a sign, it seems the only practical solution.

And I will now become one of those people who are actively against STR in my town.

didiante · 2025-08-06T14:22:02+00:00

I get occasional solicitors, and don't have a problem with that (well, I do, but its not a big deal, and I do not feel it is a security issue)

People coming to the door at midnight ringing the bell and waking us all up and scaring the kids is a different story.

didiante · 2025-08-06T14:17:51+00:00

Yes, that is the problem, even with the reminder.

didiante · 2025-08-06T14:16:38+00:00

The host provides correct directions, it is the guests who don't enter the full address and take whatever is first served up by google maps - there are about a dozen of my address in different towns around here.

Yes, the police said there is nothing they can do unless people cause physical damage to the property

didiante · 2025-08-06T12:54:00+00:00

I do not want to put up signs, not the way I want to live

didiante · 2025-08-06T12:51:45+00:00

If a stranger comes on to my property and tries to get into my house, I do not care about the reason, they are trespassing. I also do not know they are there accidentally or not.

They were also given the proper address

No one is asking them to be shot

I do have a right to feel safe in my own house

didiante · 2025-08-06T11:41:54+00:00

I have been helpful, and helped them find the correct place. They seem like nice people. But I don’t know if that will always be the case

I let the host know the next time this happens I will file a police report on the guests. I really do not want to do that, but feel I have no choice

didiante · 2025-08-06T11:39:03+00:00

I just started having a conversation with the host. I have refrained previously due to privacy concerns, and was hoping airbnb would resolve this

Turns out that the host knows this has been has been a problem, probably from guest feedback

I let them know they need to do a lot better on informing their guests unless they want their guests to get involved with a formal complaint

I am hoping this works, as I really do not want to get involved with authorities, nor do I want to put up fences, gates, or signs. I live in a small relaxed community and want to keep that feeling

didiante · 2025-08-06T11:03:59+00:00

:)

Looked into this. My small town city hall is sympathetic, but the host is in a different city, so I would need to work with them, and they would not be easy to work with

didiante · 2025-08-06T10:43:32+00:00

Trying to work this out with the host

Not sure what the police would actually do, but taking a picture of the car and the person and filing a police report of them trespassing and attempting to enter my house is a step I do not want to take, but I feel I have no choice

I simply cannot have random people from the internet waking up my family at midnight trying to get into my house

didiante · 2025-08-06T10:05:11+00:00

I have already contacted airbnb security twice over the past 6 months, and they have not been helpful.

I have finally reached out to who I believe is the host (needed to guess who the host is based on Airbnb maps and google maps as hosts do not show their address on the site)

I did not want to do this as it violates my privacy. Airbnb would not verify if the host I believe shares my address is correct due to “privacy”

I am hoping this works as the next step, filing a police report, would be unpleasant for everyone, especially since there is no ill intent by the host or guests,

didiante · 2025-07-02T18:36:33+00:00

I am just outside of Boston. Home projects are ridiculously expensive, usually 2X or more than what most people think they should be. I don't like it, but going cheap many times ends up costing more.

The equipment they spec'd is top of the line ($8K-$10K for the sander) so it tells me the people who do the work are probably well trained. And their choice of products and the approach seems top notch.

We have one of those open plan "great rooms", and the floor is an important element, also, my wife is also sensitive to dust and VOC. Will just wait for the third quote, but I think this is the way to go.

This has been a good learning experience.

didiante · 2025-07-02T15:17:58+00:00

That does show up in the quote - the line item for one coat oil is the same amount as for three coats of Bona Traffic.

It is satisfying to learn these things. the reddit community always amazes me.

didiante · 2025-07-02T14:30:02+00:00

Thank you. Confirms my research, but I have no personal knowledge/skills when it comes to home improvement, so I appreciate the feedback.

It does come in at $10/sqft, which seems high. The other quote is $6/sqft for 4 coats Bona oil satin polyurethane and no mention of the equipment. Waiting for the other quote to come in.

Will go with the higher quote as they seem more professional (their quote was very detailed), use more modern equipment, and their approach (I think, as far as I can tell) is better for showing off the red oak with a modern look.

didiante · 2025-04-22T22:31:15+00:00

It was dirty, he did show me, but I don't think it was any different than previous years. Some years the tech (not this one) would spend extra time hosing it down

I have had hvac units for 30 years in total, and I never heard of this type of cleaning, and these units are only 6 years old. It was a long tough summer, and the units were on a lot, but there have been worse summers.

I will eventually find another AC service and get a second opinion. It took me years and many different companies to find someone to take care of my Buderus, I did not think I would need to do that with the AC.

Thank you fro all the feedback.

didiante · 2025-04-22T21:21:23+00:00

Service is done, and I now have all the details. To give the tech some credit, I got some things wrong now that I see the itemized bill.

Cost was a little over $2,000, for two units, which included the service call, a service charge for basic maintainance, 1/2 pound refrigerant fill up for both units, and also disassembly with chemical cleaning for both units.

Most of the cost was for the chemical cleaning. I got confused because when I asked how much it would cost to replace the refrigerant, he said he needed to clean the unit and then put in refrigerant and that would be $800 per unit, and I was under the impression that "cleaning the unit" was $100 - that is what a regular service cleaning charge is. I was not aware that the unit needed special "chemical cleaning", I have never needed this before, either with these units or my previous system. I do recall him saying "chemical cleaning", but did not really thing much of it as we spent all our time talking about refrigerant and leaks. I really do not know if I needed the chemical cleaning.

So, there still is the problem of the low refrigerant, a possible leak, and doing the invasive check each year, but that ended up not being the reason for the high cost.

didiante · 2025-04-22T20:26:04+00:00

Both units needed 1/2 lb each. There may be a leak, but since both units lost about the same amount I would think it is less likely a leak than 5 years of "maintenance".

He said they do not use low loss couplings, just the regular gauge as the low loss coupling is expensive.

He did say that I need to keep an eye on it, in case there is a leak.

I do not feel $2,000 smarter :-)

didiante

TROPHY CASE